Nut-lock



y (N o Model.)

No. 550,905. Patented Dec. 3, 1895.

UNITED STATI-3s i PATENT OFFICE.

YVILLIAM OASE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONAL MALLEABLE CASTINGS COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

NUT-LOCK.A

SPECIFICATION forming part/.0f Letters Patent No. 550,905, dated December 1895. Application filed February 5, 1895. Serial No. 537,356. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM CASE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Nut-Locks, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple, economical, and efficient nut-lock, which may be used in connection with railroad-rails, machinery, bridge structures, &c. and the invention consists in the features and combinations hereinafter describedA and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a side elevation of a fish-plate such as used in connecting rails together, with my improvement attached thereto; Fig. 2, a perspective view of the locking-ring, looking at its interior chamber; and Fig. 3, a transverse sectional elevation showing the rail, fish-plate, bolts, and lock-nuts in operative position.

I have shown my improvement as lit is adapted to be used in connection with fishplates for vconnecting railroad-rails together; but I do not desire to be limited to this use, as, with slight modifications, it may be used with the body portions of cars, machinery, or bridge structures, and in various other places. For the sake of simplicity, and to avoid multiplicity of claims, drawings, &c., I have chosen to illustrate it in connection with a fish-plate.

In using my improvement for connecting railroad-rails A together I use a ish-plate B on one side of the rails, provided with recesses l?, adapted to receive the head of a bolt C and prevent it from turning. On the opposite side of the rails I use a second ishplate D, preferably provided with a number of projecting bosses d, having irregularshaped recesses d', preferably in the shape of a heXagon, although the shape is not material, as Will be hereinafter described. To securely hold the bolts in their locking position I prefer to provide hexagonal lockingnuts E, which normally serve to hold the several parts together.` Surrounding these nuts, and to hold them firmly in their locked position, I provide what I term a lockingring G,which, in this instance, is preferably made cup-shaped, but is provided with an axial opening g,through which the bolt maybe inserted. rl`his locking-ring is inverted, so that it surrounds the locking-nut, and its eX- ternal periphery is of the same coniiguration 5; as the irregular recess of the fish-plate into which it is inserted when it surrounds the locking-nut to prevent it from turning. The central recess of the locking-ring is of the shape and size of the inner locking-nut, so 6a that when such nut is drawn to its tightest position, as shown in Fig. 3, the locking-ring is slid over into the recess, thus preventing the turning of such nut until the lockingring has been removed. Engaging with the 6 5 threaded portion of the bolt and with the eX- teriorof the locking-ring are outer jam-nuts H, which are screwed firmly down into position to contact the locking-ring and prevent i its removal. It will be seen that these jam- 7o nuts do not take any of the strains to which the rails and fish-plates of the cars are subjected, and merely act to hold the lockingring in position.

In Fig. 1 I show the irregular recess of the 75 fish-plate left yfree from all mechanism. In the second recess I merely show the bolt andV locking-nut. In the third recess the lockingring is applied over the locking-nut, while to the right of Fig. l I have shown all the parts 8o in their position.

The advantages of my improvements are that I have provided simple, economical, and efficient means for holding the locking-nuts in place, in that the jam-nut must become entirely disengaged from the bolt before the locking-ring can be withdrawn sufficiently to allow the locking-nut to become at all loosened.

NVhile I have described my invention with 9o more or less minuteness as regards details, I do not desire to be limited thereto unduly, any more than is pointed out in the claims. On the contrary, I contemplate all proper uses, changes in form, construction, and arrangement, the omission of parts and substitution of equivalents, as circumstances may. suggest or render expedient.

I claiml. In a nut lock, the combination of a body roo portion provided with an irregular recess adapted to receive a locking ring, a bolt or similar part, means to prevent the bolt from turning, a locking nut on such bolt, a lock ing ring surrounding the locking nut and provided With an irregular periphery adapted to enter the irregularvrecess in a body portion and prevent its rotary displacement, and a jam nut on the bolt exterior to the locking ring to prevent longitudinal displacement of such ring, substantially as described.

2. In a nut lock for railroads, the combination of a ish plate or plates adapted to eonneet rails together, at least one of such' plates being` provided with an irregular re Cess to receive a locking ring, a bolt passed l through the fish plate or plates, a lock nut on the bolt to hold the parts-together, a locking ring surrounding such locking nut provided With an irregular periphery and inserted in the irregular recess of the fish plate to prevent its turning, and a jam nut 0n the bolt exterior to the locking ring to prevent longitudinal displacement of such ring, substantially as described.

'WILLIAM CASE. lVitnesses EPHRAIM BANNING, THOMAS B. MCGREGOR. 

